If you’re a millennial, chances are you know who Elon Musk is. Whether it be from his SpaceX launches or Tesla electric cars, he has certainly left some unforgettable moments in our history books, and is now making a footprint in the metaverse too (what is metaverse, you ask?). Let’s take a look at some of the most memorable milestone moments that make up his incredible story!
1995
Founded Zip2 with his brother Kimbal Musk. Zip2 was a web software company that provided content publishing tools and mapping services for popular websites like New York Times and Chicago Tribune. It was acquired by Compaq in 1999 for $307 million in cash and stock options.
2002
Founded X.com, an online financial services and email payment company which later merged with Confinity to become PayPal. eBay purchased PayPal in 2002 for $1.5 billion.
2003
Founded Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) with the goal of reducing space transportation costs to enable the colonisation of Mars. By 2018, SpaceX had flown 16 successful missions to resupply the International Space Station as well as launched Falcon Heavy – the world’s most powerful operational rocket at the time.
2005
Founded Tesla Motors with JB Straubel and Martin Eberhard to create electric vehicles powered by lithium-ion battery cells. By 2020, Tesla had become one of the world’s most valuable automakers, worth over $400 billion on paper.
2006
Invested in SolarCity which later merged into Tesla Inc., creating a vertically integrated clean energy company offering solar panels, home batteries and electric vehicles under one roof (Tesla).
2007
Helped design Tesla Roadster – an all-electric sports car that achieved 245 miles per charge, becoming the world’s first highway legal serial production all-electric car.
2008
Unveiled the first version of Hyperloop Alpha concept – a high speed ground transportation system capable of speeds exceeding 600 mph (965 km/h). He turned over much of its development to companies like Hyperloop One and Virgin Hyperloop One, which have since successfully tested several prototypes around the world.
2012
Launched Dragon 2 spacecraft aboard the Falcon 9 rocket, thereby becoming the first commercial spacecraft to deliver cargo to the International Space Station. This marked an important step forward in making space exploration accessible for private businesses instead of relying on government funding alone.
2018
Announced Neuralink Corp., an ambitious venture aiming to develop implantable brain-machine interfaces, connecting human brains directly with computers.
Even this brief overview shows just how amazing Elon Musk’s achievements have been throughout his career so far
From founding multiple companies that have revolutionised industries like ecommerce, energy storage and transport; to launching projects like the Hyperloop Alpha concept and Neuralink Corp that are still works in progress yet hold immense potential towards shaping our future… It goes without saying that there’s still more exciting milestones yet to come from this extraordinary innovator!
